With just 17,000 residents, the city of Cocoa, Fla., is fairly small. But it has a huge water system: 1,325 miles of mains, 20,400 valves and 6,000 hydrants alone.Over the last few years, the city’s utilities department has been implementing a major change in the way it manages that extensive infrastructure.“We’re taking a comprehensive approach to risk management and assessment,” says Cocoa Utilities Director John “Jack” Walsh. Instead of a reactive approach, the utility is focusing on a proactive strategy: thoroughly taking stock of the water distribution system’s conditions, systematically setting priorities for repairing or replacing the lines, valves and
